Committee on Ways and Means

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Seal of the Committee

The Committee on Ways and Means (literally, "The Means and Ways Committee") is a committee of the United States House of Representatives . His very broad area of ​​responsibility extends not only to budgetary, financial and tax policy, but also to social security systems and some family policy issues.

history

The Committee on Ways and Means has existed since 1789, making it the longest standing standing committee in the House of Representatives. The basic idea is even older, in the English Parliament (later British Parliament) there was a Committee of Ways and Means between 1641 and 1967 .

meaning

The number of committee members is over 40, which indicates the importance of this committee. For comparison: In the German Bundestag, at least the Finance Committee, the Budget Committee and the Health and Social Security Committee would be responsible for this range of topics.

The chairman (Chairman) of the Committee is considered one of the most powerful members of Congress . He (or she) is entitled to an office directly in the Capitol building, a privilege that only six other MPs have: the Speaker of the House of Representatives , the leaders and whips of the majority and minority factions and the chairman of the Senate's Committee on Appropriations .

Eight former presidents chaired the committee prior to their term in office, including a. James K. Polk , Millard Fillmore, and William McKinley, as well as eight Vice-Presidents, 21 Speaker of the House of Representatives and four justices of the US Supreme Court.

tasks

Under the United States Constitution , the House of Representatives is responsible for all tax bills . The House Rules, in turn, state that all such bills must go through the Ways and Means Committee. This gives this committee immense power and importance, especially when compared to its counterpart in the Senate , the Committee on Finance .

Personal details

Massachusetts- born Richard Neal is chairman and senior Democrat on the board .

Highest ranking Republican on the committee is from Texas native Kevin Brady .

Subcommittees

There are currently six sub-committees of the committee:

  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Human Resources
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures
  • Subcommittee on Social Security
  • Subcommittee on Trade

literature

  • Randall Strahan: New Ways and Means: Reform and Change in a Congressional Committee. New edition. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill 2011, ISBN 978-0-8078-6622-1 .

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